berry



Nb Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'. M. F. BERRY.

PAPER FILE 0R CLAMP.

Patented Sept. 20

z m W 1 N. PETKRS. Phokwlnhngnphur. Washington. D. C

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. F. BERRY.

PAPER FILE 0R CLAMP. I No. 370,116. I Patented Sept. 20, 1887.

5- %zesaea": nae Z07?- n. PETERS Phclvulllognphor, Wnhinzmn, D c.

UNITED STATES PATE T @rrrea.

MARCELLUS F. BERRY, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

PAPER FILE OR CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,116, dated Eeptember 20, 1887.

Application filed June 27, 1887.

lb all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ll/IAROELLUS F. BERRY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Paper Files or Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a file or clamp of simple construction which may be applied directly to loose papers laid in a pile, or which may be applied to a temporary binder or cover for the purpose of confining papers therein.

My invention depends for its holding power upon the greater or less number of papers, on the resilience or elasticity of a metal bar or strip, which is connected at its ends and which has between its ends a permanent inward set or deflection, whereby it is caused to exert an elastic force or pressure to clamp the papers. The file or clamp proper may consist of a band having its two side members permanently connected at one end and detachably connected at the other end, one of said side members being elastic and formed with a permanent inward set or deflection and the other forming a base or resistance piece for the first. Both the side members of the band may be elastic and formed with an inward set or deilection, and they may be interlocked or engaged with each other at their free ends by providing them at the ends with lips adapted to slip laterally one under another.

The invention also consists in a file or clamp composed of two corresponding elastic strips or side members, each having a permanent inward set or deflection between its ends and connected together at the ends.

The invention also consists in the combination, with a cover having a transverse channel or crease near the back, of a clamp composed of elastic side members permanently connected at one end and at the other end connected by interlocking lips, one or each of said side members having a permanent inward set or deflec tion.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a paper-file applied to a binder or cover and embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section upon the plane of the dotted line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar seetion on about the plane of the dotted lines y 1 Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the file or clamp proper detached from other 1 Serial No. 242,598. (Nomodehl parts, (Fig. 4 representing it as having its free ends disconnected.) Fig. 5* represents a clamp composed of two similar side portions or members detachably connected at both ends; and Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and a transverse section of a file or clamp, consisting of a base or back board and a spring embodying my invention and applied thereto.

Similar letters of reference designate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

In the present example of my invention the clamp or file proper is applied to a tempo rary binder or cover having side covers or portions, A A, and the flexible back A, and one side cover or portion is creased or channeled across its face, as shown at a, and is constructed with a flexible joint portion, a. The file proper or clamp consists in this example of the invention of a band which encircles the cover A, and is shown applied to the cover in Fig. 2and as removed from the cover in Figs. 4 and 5. Indeed, this band or clamp may be employed without any cover to secure paper together. As here represented, the band or clamp has side portions, B, connected together at the ends. In this example I have shown a permanent connection at one end, as at b, and a detachable connection at the other end, and one or each of these side bars or members has a permanent inward set or deflection, as shown in Fig. 5, and which causes them when brought together and engaged, as in Fig. 5 and also in Fig. 2, to bind strongly upon the cover and securely hold the papers placed between the side portions of the cover. I have here shown both members B B of the band as elastic and having formed in them the inward set or deflection, and provision for engaging them to gether is secured by forming upon them at the free ends inwardly-turned lips, as shown at Z). By the movement of one member or strip B parallel with the face of these lips they may be readily disengaged from each other when it is desired to remove the band or to put more papers within the file.

I have by dotted lines in Fig. 1 represented the lateral movement of one strip or member 13 at its free end in order to disengage it from the other strip or member, and as the strip or member which is on the face of the cover lies in the channel or crease a the band is prevented from lateral displacement, and in this case one side of the crease or channel a is formed by a projection, 11*, upon the cover, which prevents the band from moving to the left of the position shown in Fig. 1.

When the band is applied to the cover A, it securely holds therein papers 0; but when it is removed fromthe coverthe two members or side portions will spring outward away from each other, as shown in Fig. 4, if they both be elastic and formed with an inward set or deflection. The band or clamp B B may be formed of one piece of spring-brass or spring metal, as shown in the drawings, Figs. 4 and 5.

In the example of my invention, Figs. 1 to 5, one side portion B may be considered as forming a resistance-piece to the other, whether 'it also be elastic and deflected between its ends or not; or, in fact, for the purposes of my inventionone of the side leaves A may be considered as forming a'resistance-piece.

In the example of my invention shown in Fig. 6 is employed a base or back board,which may be considered asuthe equivalent of one of the side covers A- shown vin the preceding figures, and upon which the papers 0 are laid.

' B designates the active'element of the clamp,

which is a strip having an inward permanent offset or deflectiomwhereby it is caused to bear between its ends upon the papers, and having its ends engaged with arms or projections D from the back board or base A. These arms or projections may have perforations-or slots dformed in them, and with these perforations or slots may be engaged the tongues d or the T-shaped projections, with which the ends of the strip Bare provided. When more papers are to-be introduced, the strip B may here-moved and have its end engaged with the projections or arms D, at. a distance from the base-board A. It will be seen thatthis latterexample of myinvention (shown in Figs. 6 and 7) embodies theessential featuresof my invention, inasmuch as it has the strip or bar with a permanent set or'defiection between its ends, and in the example of my invention shown in Figs; 1 to 5, inclusive, the cover A which is upon one side of the papers maybe considered as aybase or back board, and the member B may be considered as clamping the papers directly uponthat base or back board, although the other side cover is interposed between. r

In the example of my invention shown in' manent inward set or deflection,whereby when applied to the papers it acts to clamp the papers between it and the base or resistance piece with a force proportioned to its approach to a straight line, substantially as herein described.

2. The paper file or clamp herein described, consisting ofa band having its two side mem bers permanently connected at one end and detachably connected at the other end, one of said side members being formed with a permanent inward set or deflection and having the side members detachably connected at the other end, substantially as herein set forth.-

3. The paper file or clamp herein described, composed ofthe two elastic side members or strips, B B, permanently connected at one end and provided with interlocking lips or flanges at the other end, and each of said membershavinga permanent inward set or deflection betweenits ends, substantially as herein described.

4. The paper file or clamp composed of two corresponding elastic strips or side members, each having a permanent'inward' set o1"defiection between its ends and connected or joined at their ends, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with the cover A, having a' transverse channelor crease, a, near the back, of the clamp composed of the side members, B B, permanently connected at one end and at the other end connected by interlockinglips, one or each of said side members being elastic and having a permanent inward set or deflection, substantially as hereinset forth.

M. F. BERRY.

Witnesses:

O. HALL, FREDK. HAYNES. 

